The present disclosure relates to bio-renewable flame-retardant compounds and, more specifically, flame-retardant vanillin-derived small molecules.
Bio-based compounds provide a source of renewable materials for various industrial applications, such as polymers, flame retardants, cross-linkers, etc. One example of a bio-based compound that can be used in these applications is vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde). Vanillin is a plant metabolite and the main component of natural vanilla extract. While vanillin can be obtained from vanilla extract, or synthesized from petroleum-based raw materials, a number of biotechnology processes are also used to produce vanillin. These processes can be plant-based or microorganism-based, and provide a renewable source of vanillin on an industrial scale.